Adjustable link-jaw clamping wrench



April 12, 1960 A. sEPPoLA ADJUSTABLE LINK-JAW CLAMPING WRENCH FiledMarch 20. 1958 INVENTOR ASLE SEPPOLA 2,932,226 ADJUSTABLE LINK-JAWCLNIPNG WRENCH Asie Seppola, Evansburg, Alberta, Canada ApplicationMarch 20, 1958, Serial No. 722,794 2 Claims. (Cl. 81-65) My inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in clamping wrenches,particularly wrenches adapted to be used upon pipes of varyingdiameters, the principal object and essence of my invention being toprovide a device of the character herewithin described which includesfine adjustment for engagement of pipes of varying diameters andincludes jaws which surround said pipes when engaging same.

Many pipe wrenches are in use, but they all suffer from severaldisadvantages, chief among which is the fact that the pressure isconcentrated on two diametrically opposite points on the pipes. Ifconsiderable pressure is therefore exerted upon the pipes, either severedamage occurs or, under certain circumstances, collapse of the pipe walloccurs. Furthermore, the majority of pipe wrenches require extensivepressure in order to prevent slippage occurring due to theaforementioned twopoint contact.

I overcome these disadvantages by providing a jaw as sembly whichsubstantially surrounds the entire diameter of the pipe therebyrequiring less pressure for engagement and which furthermore includesboth coarse and line adjustment for varying diameters of pipes.

I obtain these advantages by including an articulated jaw assembly whichsurrounds the pipe and4 by providing chain linkage which is engageableby the toothed end of an actuating lever which permits the jaws to beclamped tightly upon the pipe separately.

With the foregoing objects in View, and such other objects andadvantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to whichthis invention relates as this specification proceeds, my inventionconsists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all ashereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the jaw end of my device.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary view of the actuatingportion of my device.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe my invention in detail, it will be seenupon reference to the accompanying drawings that I have provided anelongated main handle 1 preferably formed of inverted U cross-sectionalmaterial and terminating in a pair of spaced and parallel plates 2formed integrally upon the front end 3 of the main handle.

The front ends 4 of these plates 2 are arcuately concave as at 5 and areprovided with serrations or teeth 6 thus forming what I define asarcuately curved, toothed, semi-jaws.

An articulated jaw assembly collectively designated 7 comprises ascrew-threaded shank 8 movable endwise within a boss 9 formed at thebase of these two plates 2 and engageable within a complementaryscrew-threaded 2,932,226 VPatented VApr. 12, 1960V ice nut10 within arecess 11 formed in the base of the plates 2. From the foregoing it willbe appreciated that rotation of the nut 10 will cause the shank 8 tomove lengthwise within limits. A plurality of arcuately curved jaws- 12are pivotally secured together by pivot pin 13 and one of the jaws 12'is pivotally secured by the end 13 thereof to the forward end 14 of theaforementioned shank 8. The inner surfaces of these jaws 12 and 12 areserrated or provided with teeth 15 and are concavedly curved as clearlyillustrated.

Actuating linkage collectively designated 16 consists of a plurality ofchain links 17 pivotally secured together at adjacent ends by means ofpins 18. These pins 18 extend outwardly upon either side of the links 17as clearly shown in Figure 2. This actuating linkage is pivotallysecured by the one end 19 thereof to the end 20 of the articulated jaw12 and this linkage passes downwardly between the plates 2 rearwardly ofthe jaws 6 thereof. In this connection I have provided -a roller 21journalled for rotation upon pin 22 which spans the plates 2 alsorearwardly of the jaws 6 and this roller acts as a guide over which theactuating linkage 16 extends.

This actuating linkage terminates in an elongated link 23 upon which areprovided a pair of manipulating levers 24 which can be extended to theposition shown in Figure l so that adjustment of this linkage can beundertaken or, alternatively, can be folded upwardly in the direction ofarrows 25 to lie against the sides of the link 23.

When the levers 24 are folded upwardly in the direction of arrows 25,-the actuating linkage can be slipped through the handle for ease ofadjustment and when they are extended as illustrated, they prevent thechain from becoming displaced inadvertently.

An actuating lever collectively designated 26 is pivoted by one end 27thereof between flanges 28 formed upon the underside of the plates 2,said actuating lever cxtending rearwardly underneath the handle 1 asclearly shown. Upon the end 27 of the actuating lever 26 I provide apair of lianges 29 having rearwardly curved teeth 30 formed upon theundersides thereof and these rearwardly curved teeth 30 are adapted toengage over Vthe extending end 18' of the aforementioned chain link pins18 so that movement of the actuating lever 26 in the direction of arrow31 will cause the jaws to be closed.

In operation, the actuating linkage 16 is disengaged from the pins 18and the jaws 7 are open sufficiently to accept the entrance of theassociated pipe 32. VThe actuating linkage 16 is then pulled tightaround the pipe by means of the levers 24 until the rearwardly curvedteeth 30 of the actuating lever 26 can engage adjacent pins 18. In thisconnection the actuating lever 26 has to be moved in the oppositedirection to arrow 31 until it is substantially at right angles to themain handle 1. Fine adjustment of the jaws around the associated pipe 32is undertaken by means of the nut 10 whereupon the actuating lever 26 ismoved in the direction of arrow 31 until it lies substantially parallelto the handle 1 whereupon either of a pair of clips 33 or 34 may beengaged over the rear end 35 of the actuating lever thus locking it inposition and maintaining the clamp firmly around the pipe 32.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabovedescribed, and many apparently Widely different embodiments of the samemade within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing fromsuch spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in theaccompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only andnot in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An adjustable clamping wrench for pipes and the mammaA likecomprising in combination an elongated main handle, a pair of spaced andparallel plates formed on one end thereof, arcuately concave, toothedsemi-jaws formed on the front ends of said plates, anarticulated,internally toothed jaw assembly mounted Von said plates, saidarticulated jaw assembly being Vanchoredfby'one end thereof between thelower sides of said 1Jlates,actuatingY 4 Y said actuating leveradjustably engageable with said actuating linkage.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which said guide means includes aroller journalled for rotation between said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS855,380 Bates May 28, 1907 1,209,049 Sheets Dec. 19, 1916 1,389,515Kikta Aug. 30, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS 516,246 Germany Ian. 20, 1931 Ma many

